The world dissolved.
Everything was black.
No train, no walls, no bodies laying around. There was only an empty black void that felt like suffocating.
And within that void, only one single thing moved, the metal bat, swinging down.
It was slow, cutting through the dark like an angel's message that marks the end of this legacy.
Each inch it moved closer, light began to bloom, thin white veins spreading from nowhere, swallowing the dark.
Seojin's breath shivered as their lashes lowered.
The bat was only getting closer and closer, so close it blurred in the brightness.
Seojin closed their eyes.
…
"…Get up."
The voice cut through the light, blurred and distant.
Seojin's fingers twitched.
The whiteness dissolved into static, bleeding into shades of gray.
…
They were sitting on a cracked road, surrounded by ruins. Shattered windows, burnt cars, collapsed walls, the remains of a world that once lived.
Bodies surrounded them, sprawled across the cracked floor. Then came the familiar smell: iron, smoke, dust.
Ahead of Seojin stood five figures.
Their faces were shrouded in shadow, leaving only their outlines against the dim light.
To the left: a man with a metal bat resting on his shoulder, the faint gleam catching what little light remained. Behind him was a woman in casual clothes, jeans and a windbreaker, bending slightly to look at Seojin with quiet concern.
To the right: a tall man in a leather jacket and jeans, a silver watch glinting on his wrist. He towered over the rest, a wall of calm strength. Behind him was a figure of uncertain shape, neither clearly male nor female, gazing off into the distance.
And in the center stood a man in a coat and baggy black pants, with a relaxed, casual posture.
He took a step forward.
Seojin didn't look up. Their head hung low, eyes fixed on the ground, voice faint.
"Taeyang… just leave me alone."
Taeyang lowered himself to one knee, coat brushing the floor.
"You turned against Oryong to side with us," he said quietly. "...May we know what's the reason behind it?"
Seojin didn't speak a word.
"You know…" Taeyang continued, voice calm but steady, "I used to be just like you. My life revolved around following orders, doing whatever Oryong wanted. I thought that was all that mattered, and it doesn't matter whether or not I gave up everything."
He looked at his hand briefly, flexing it before curling it into a fist.
"But… when I get to feel what it's like to be normal, to laugh, to fail, to breathe without permission. I realized how pointless that life had been."
He rose slowly to his feet.
"But it's never too late to start over. To change, to become someone you truly want to be."
Taeyang paused, "You want to change too, don't you?" his voice softened. "What's your name?"
Seojin's mouth parted for a moment, hesitating before finally speaking. "…Yeon–"
"No." Taeyang's tone was firm but gentle. "Your name is Kwon Yujin."
Finally, Seojin looked up.
The light shifted, revealing only the lower half of Taeyang's face, his mouth curved into a faint, genuine smile.
"That's the name Mom wanted to give you," he said quietly.
The words struck like thunder, small, simple, but shattering.
Taeyang extended a hand.
"So… who are you?" His smile widened slightly. "Yeon Seojin, or Kwon Yujin?"
Seojin stared at his hand… Then, slowly, they reached for it.
Taeyang's fingers closed firmly around theirs. "Yujin," he said, voice steady. "Start over, and never give up,"
"Live."
The warmth of that grip lingered, then shattered like glass.
The pressure of something cutting air still hung there, close, almost touching skin.